Hello!
Welcome to the 8th edition of AM Devlog! AM Devlogs are weekly (when we don't patch) updates on the development progress of Adventurer Manager. These Devlogs highlight our philosophy of the importance of development transparency and player feedback.
Wow, it's been a long time since there was a Devlog! The reason being is because we've been patching so damn much! I'm sure we can all agree that's a good thing as we try and bring you very regular updates to keep the game's production moving forward and to better reflect the changes we've made based on your invaluable feedback as players. We are taking this week off due to the massive patch we just released last weekend. This patch saw the introduction of a surprise and entirely new game mechanic called Invasions as well as the introduction to the long-awaited University and 2 more dungeons taking the level cap up to 45. For this edition of AM Devlog I'm going to talk briefly about some upcoming class additions and some class changes!
5 New Classes!
We've always wanted to bring you more classes and we had debated internally how we were going to do that. Originally it was just going to be more classes, then it changed to advanced classes that had to be unlocked, but now it's gone back to just more classes. Adventurer Manager is about the Adventurers and creating fun and diverse parties to experiment with so we felt the best option was to introduce more classes up front. This is not to say that we aren't still considering advanced classes or ways to alter existing classes in the University, but introducing new classes seemed like the right option due to some archetype holes that were missing (ie. one Arcane damage class and one Healer are not great options). So we were originally going to introduce 3 more classes but that number has now increased to 5! That's right, 5 new classes are coming and you may even see their early iteration sometime this week! Now let's talk about some of them!
AM has always lacked utility classes and in order to attempt to achieve better balance we gave all classes a few utility abilities. Well that is changing a bit (I'll explain more after the classes) to introduce some much needed utility classes. The first class we're introducing is the Warlock! The Warlock is a DoT'er and Debuffer and will have both single target and aoe DoT's and debuffs. One of his abilities is a debuff that reduces amount of healing received by an enemy target to help you cut down on those annoying healer mobs.
The next class is the Enchanter! Inspired by one of our favorite old-school MMORPGs, the Enchanter is all about Energy and Energy regeneration. He does almost no damage but has a single target and aoe stun as well as ways to replenish his own energy and the energy of other party members. We have avoided many Energy abilities as they are pretty powerful, but we feel that the Enchanter will find his niche in your parties!
The third class we're introducing is the Shaman! A new healer that has some hybrid qualities, the Shaman has a single target heal and an aoe heal. Other abilities are a stun and life regen buffs. The Shaman's primary weapon is the spear but is also able to use blunt weapons, light shields, and wear leather armor. This new healer should help relieve the Cleric from all of his healing duties!
The fourth class we're introducing is the Death Knight! Essentially an anti-paladin, the Death Knight trades heals for lifesteals and damaging nukes. He also can buff spellpower to benefit your casting party members as well as taunt. The Death Knight's primary weapon is the pole-arm and he wears heavy armor.
The fifth class is a mystery that will be revealed when we patch! I just know that he likes crossbows….
Skill Changes!
We've always tried to make each class have similar ability make-ups so that the classes are easier to balance. This resulted in many abilities that had little use in an effort to differentiate classes. A lot of these were buffs and debuffs that were far too situational to be useful. We're now in the process of editing all of the classes with the addition of these new ones to make them all more specialized and more unique. Not all classes will be able to buff and debuff like they use to and some will be able to do more buffing and debuffing than others. The buffs and debuffs will also be more useful, targeting Armor, ToHit, Magic Resistance, and a few others over the more Mutator specific ones. This should really make our new utility classes shine as they will find more usefulness in the party despite their lower damage. This is an ongoing process and we will continue to address the classes until we feel they are where we want them to be.
AM Team Member Feature
AM Team Member Feature is a segment in these Devlogs where every week or so I feature one of our team members who is currently working on AM. Leading off the new segment is our Composer & Sound Designer, Daniel Lopatka!
[img=https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1950450/AM_Devlogs/Devlog9/dan_lopatka.jpg]
Who are you and what are your duties on Adventurer Manager?
My name is Dan Lopatka and I am the Composer/Sound designer for Adventurer Manager. My duties are just that, but I compose more than I sound design.
What are you working on right now?
I’m working on a bunch of things right now! Some may even say TOO many things…*shifty eyes* I just created sound effects for item drops – different ones for common, uncommon, rare, legendary, and mythical items. I’m also writing new music for a couple of levels, as well as re-orchestrating tunes like the Ruined Keep and Druid Grove.
What is a major feature that you have created or developed?
Music is a major feature, right?
What are your favorite aspects of working on Adventurer Manager and VAStudios?
I’d say the thing I like most about working on AM is writing in such diverse genres/styles. I mean, a couple of weeks ago, I wrote a quasi-tribal piece (Monster Camp), followed by an epic LOTR-style tune (Mountain Pass), and then a foot-stompin’ bluegrass number (Undead Farm)!
Do you have anything else you'd like to share with fans and those who may be interested in AM but have yet to purchase it?
My favorite video game tunes are the ones that are so fun and memorable, you don’t care if you hear them 100 times in row, which is why some of my biggest inspirations are composers like Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy), Masato Nakamura (Sonic the Hedgehog), and Koji Kondo (Legend of Zelda, Mario). If you’re into music like that, then I think you’ll dig the Adventurer Manager soundtrack. Feel free to check out some of the tunes from the game on my SoundCloud at soundcloud.com/drlopatka
That's all for this week's edition of AM Devlog! Check back next week for more development updates!
Happy Adventuring!
Thomas Spradling
Game Designer & Producer
VAStudios